DEKRA inspects 102-year-old Stanley Steamer's steam boiler in Germany
A 1924 Stanley Steamer, one of the last steam cars ever made, passed DEKRA's mandatory biennial boiler strength test in Germany.
- 102 years
- about 42 bar
- well over 60 bar
- more than 10,000
What Happened
This cobalt-blue Stanley Steamer 750 B from 1924 is the fourth-to-last of more than 10,000 steam-powered cars built by the Stanley Motor Carriage Company in Newton, Massachusetts, between 1898 and 1924. Unlike ordinary vehicles, it requires a separate mandatory biennial strength test of its steam boiler, performed by pressure vessel experts. The owner had already removed the burner so inspector Franziska Ellinghaus could access the boiler and flue pipes from below. In summer 2026, she and colleague Alexander Czech inspected the car in Ladenburg, Germany, focusing only on the boiler and its attachments – not on wheels, brakes, or lighting.
Stanley Steamer 750 B produced as the fourth-to-last of over 10,000 steam cars.
First restored in the U.S.
Car came to England.
German collector Jörg Pühler purchased the car in England.
DEKRA conducted the biennial boiler strength test.
The boiler holds between 40 and 50 liters of water heated by a kerosene burner. The resulting steam is fed at high pressure through valves into two cylinders near the rear axle, driving the pistons. The operating pressure is about 42 bar, compared with only 2 to 3 bar in a car tire.
- 2–3 bar
- about 42 bar
- well over 60 bar
For the strength test, DEKRA increased the pressure to well over 60 bar and held it for half an hour, as mandated. Inspector Ellinghaus watched the pressure gauge for any drop and checked pipes, connections, and the boiler for water beads, including the circular arrangement of heating coil and flue pipes about 75 centimeters in diameter. The original boiler had been replaced by a newly manufactured one in England in 2013. Owner Jörg Pühler, who completely disassembled the vehicle after buying it and spent four years restoring it, watched with curiosity. Finally, the boiler passed the pressure test.
“No, not really. I am mindful of the necessary precautions for the process, but if I were afraid, I’d have to find another job.”
“Many people didn’t know what to make of a steam boiler in a car and an operating pressure of over 40 bar. It was only through a friend that I came across DEKRA in Heilbronn. They were able to help me there.”
Why this matters
Steam-powered cars are a rare early alternative to gasoline engines, and they need specialty safety checks beyond ordinary vehicle inspections. A 102-year-old Stanley Steamer can only keep running if a certified expert proves its boiler can safely handle extreme pressure every two years. For classic car owners like Jörg Pühler, finding such expertise can be hard.
Terms in This Story
- Pressure vessel
- A container designed to hold gases or liquids at a pressure substantially different from the ambient pressure, such as the steam boiler in this car.
- Stanley Steamer
- A brand of steam-powered car produced by the Stanley Motor Carriage Company in the early 20th century.
- Bar
- A metric unit of pressure roughly equal to standard atmospheric pressure (about 14.5 psi).
- Biennial
- Occurring every two years, as in the mandatory boiler strength test.
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.